New Oyster Species discovered at Pilbara port

A new oyster species has been discovered throughout the Pilbara by a Curtin University academic as part of a study checking for invasive marine oysters in Western Australia. The Distribution of intertidal rock oysters in the Pilbara WA study aimed to uncover if foreign oyster species had been brought into Pilbara’s marine ecosystems through shipping vessels from South-East Asia. Fortunately no invasive oysters were found. However, the study revealed a new — albeit native to Australia — oyster species flourishing in the Pilbara, which had previously only been found in Queensland. This oyster species is yet to be formally named with specimens of the mollusc being examined by oyster expert Dr Graham Oliver at the National Museum of Wales. Marine biodiversity Adjunct Professor at Curtin University and lead author of the study, Fred Wells, said the research was part of a broader investigation into how invasive species can compromise WA’s marine life. “We are looking at a broad range of species. We chose oysters as the first cab off the rank to use DNA techniques to see what oysters we have in WA and if there’s anything that’s been introduced,” Dr Wells said. “If a new species comes in it can take over the environment and introduce diseases both in other organisms and even in some cases in humans,” he said. Many of the high risk vessels such as dredges, barges and tugs, entering Pilbara ports are coming from Singapore and Thailand where there could be species that might become invasive if they were introduced to the Pilbara. The next stage of the study will be to survey those areas to see what oyster species occur there and evaluate the risks they pose to Western Australia.